The war begins
After completion of its build-up to the level of its
satisfaction, the Chinese side zeroed in on October 20 as the date of
unleashing war on India. However, prior to that, the Chinese probed
Indian defences at Tsangle, Bridge V and such areas between October 15
and 17. As the official history mentions, “By October 19, there were
unmistakable signs that an attack was imminent.” Meanwhile, the Chinese
had infiltrated through gaps in Indian positions to occupy hilltops
behind Indian defences. They infiltrated towards Tsangdhar, took
positions round Tsangle post, and almost encircled Khinzemane post.
Once they were prepared, the Chinese unleashed massive attack
simultaneously in Namka Chu sector, other divisions in NEFA and Ladakh.
Except for Tsangle, nowhere else were Indian troops on north of Namka
Chu river. However, the Chinese goal was to reach Tawang. The Chinese
had access to three routes to Tawang namely Shao-Bum La-Milaktong
La-Tawang, Le (in Tibet)-Khinzemane-Zimithang-
Tawang, and through
Thag La area. And, they exploited it to the fullest. The Chinese
advanced from Namka Chu, Dhola Post, Tsangdhar, Khinzemane, Bridge I,
Drokung Samba bridge, Bridge II and Bridge V/Tsangle, Hathong
La-Serkhim, Zimithang and proceeded towards Tawang.
Battle at Bum La
On
the morning of October 20, a JCO of the Assam Rifles at Bum La post
noticed that more than 1,000 Chinese or Tibetan labourers with digging
implements and protected by Chinese soldiers, arrived on the Raider’s
Ridge.
The JCO visited the 11th platoon position in the afternoon to apprise
the post of the possible danger. 11th Platoon detailed a section under
Hav Sucha Singh to reinforce the Assam Rifles post. Simultaneously, the
JCO In-charge 11th platoon asked for ammunition from his Company HQ at
Tongpeng La.
Nothing happened till 4.30 am on October 23 when suddenly the Chinese
started firing with mortars and anti-tank guns. The anti-tank gun fire
was to destroy the Indian bunkers. As soon as the firing ceased, about
600 Chinese attacked the Assam Rifles post. The Jawans put up a bold
resistance but soon the post was over-run. Hav Sucha Singh, after
inflicting heavy casualties on the enemy, was able to withdraw his
section to the Platoon position at IB Ridge.
The present-day Bum La
At
present, there is full-fledged Indian post at Bum La. At an altitude of
15,200 feet, Bum La is the last post of India in this part of Kameng
Division. Journey to Bum La post is bumpy and as soon as one gets past a
certain height, a board put by Indian Army warns, “Now onwards you are
under enemy observation.”
Through dusty air, one starts seeing a snow-capped peak behind
white-coloured dome-shaped structures. While the white structures are of
Indian Army, the snow-capped peak is Tsong Dzong, which is in Chinese
territory, tells an Army officer. Once you reach Bum La, one is
surprised to know that there is no ‘No Man’s Land’ in this part. “There
is only International Border marked by a ‘Heap of Stones’ at the end of
our territory and beginning of Chinese territory,” tells an officer. An
Indian soldier stands guard all the time at the ‘Heap of Stones’
watching the Chinese post across the border.
In the 3,430 kms of border (McMahon Line) with China, Bum La sector has
border of 10-15 kms, informs another officer. The border area is
senstive and hence the officials do not allow to take photographs of
soldiers on duty there. At Bum La post, there are boards that display
flags of India and China and carry the message of friendship between
both the countries. In fact, on the Indian side, there is a structure
called ‘Maitri Sthal’ that has a meeting hall for representatives of
both the countries during border talks, and a dining hall. However,
there are no photographs of 1962 war. Ask any officer of the Army there,
and comes the reply, “As we want to maintain peace, we do not want to
unnecessarily provoke anybody from any side. Maitri Sthal is meant to
resolve the issues along border peacefully.”
Battle at IB (International Border) Ridge
After
over-running the Assam Rifles’ post at Bum la, the enemy attacked the
forward platoon position of ‘D’ Company, the Sikhs, at the IB Ridge, at
about 5 am on October 23.
As the climb from the bed of nullah to the platoon position was steep,
the Sikhs were able to inflict heavy casualties on the Chinese,
compelling them to retire. Heavy mortar at out post at IB Ridge also
engaged the enemy. In the meantime, the Platoon Commander Sub Joginder
Singh asked for more ammunition from the Company HQs. But, by that time,
the enemy had succeeded in cutting the platoon’s land communication
with the Company HQs and had concentrated at Tongpeng La.
The Company Commander Lt Haripal Kaushik asked Subedar Singh to retire
to Company HQs but the latter assured that the enemy would not be
allowed to get through the IB Ridge to the ‘Twin Peaks’. In the
fighting, Sub Joginder Singh was wounded and made prisoner. While in the
enemy’s custody, he died because of his wounds. He was awarded Param
Vir Chakra posthumously for his bravery.
A plaque at Sub Joginder Singh Memorial section at Tawang War memorial
details the war fought valiantly by Sub Joginder Singh and is men.
At
5.30 am on October 23, 1962, the Chinese opened a very heavy attack on
the Bum La axis with the intention of breaking through to Tawang. The
leading battalion of the enemy attacked the ridge in three waves, each
about 200 strong. Sub Singh and his men mowed down the first wave, and
the enemy was temporarily halted by the heavy losses it suffered.
Within a few minutes, a second wave came over and was dealt with
similarly. But, the platoon had by then lost half of its men. Sub Singh
was wounded in the thigh but refused to be evacuated. Under his
inspiring leadership, the platoon stubbornly held its ground and would
not withdraw. Meanwhile, the position was attacked for the third time.
Sub Singh himself manned a light machine gun and shot down a number of
enemy soldiers. The Chinese, however, continued to advance despite heavy
losses. When the situation became untenable, Sub Singh with his few men
emerged from their position with fixed bayonets and charged the
advancing Chinese shouting ‘Bole So Nihal…’, bayoneting a number of them
before he and his comrades were overwhelmed.
At present, apart from a memorial section at Tawang War Memorial, there
is another independent memorial of Sub Joginder Singh at a place some
distance before Indian post at Bum La. Apart from preserving the tale of
heroics, the memorial at IB Ridge comprises a big rock that has been
painted in three colours -- saffron, white, and green -- like in the
national tri-colour. It was behind this rock that Sub Joginder Singh
took shelter and mounted attack on the Chinese aggressors inflicting
heavy casualties upon them.
Besides, the memorial preserves shoes used by Sub Joginder Singh,
magazines, parts of exploded grenades, fired bullets, etc in a glass
box. There are photographs of Sub Joginder Singh’s funeral that was
attended by countless men. Taking a look at the hero’s belongings and
the difficult terrain in which he and his men fought the battle, brings
tears to one’s eyes. The war of 1962 has to be remembered as a
collection of several such heroic battles fought by Indian soldiers who
braved all odds including inclement weather and a superiorly-equipped
enemy, to protect their motherland.
Nuranang: Where soldiers became heroes
“Do
not lament the death of a warrior killed in the battlefield as those
who sacrifice their lives in war are honoured in heaven.”
These lines inscribed on a black granite marble plaque under a statue of
a soldier holding his gun with a bayonet fixed atop, welcome the
visitors at Jaswantgarh War Memorial. The memorial, constructed in 2010,
is a monument of heroic battle fought by men of 19 Garhwal Rifles in
the battle of Nuranang in Sino-Indian war of 1962.
At this same place, the spirited team of 4th Battalion of The Garwahl
Rifles stopped the Chinese till the ‘last man standing, and last bullet
fired’. However, the memorial has something more to tell. It tells a
story of a brave soldier who put up a lone fight till he fell to stop
Chinese from crossing over Se La into West Kameng from Tawang. The man’s
name is Rifleman Jaswant Singh Rawat, after whom the place has been
named Jaswantgarh.
On November 17, 1962, when 4th Battalion of The Garhwal Rifles was
occupying defensive position near Nuranang bridge, Chinese launched an
attack. The Chinese managed to bring forward an MMG up to within 30 to
40 yards of Number 3 Platoon position and weakened its defences to a
great extent. Rifleman Jaswant Singh Rawat, along with Lance Naik Trilok
Singh Negi and Rifleman Gopal Singh Gusain volunteered to crawl up to
the MMG position to destroy it with hand grenades. When they reached to
within 10 to 15 yards of the MMG position under cover of boulders,
scraggy bushes and trees and under the risk of own and enemy heavy fire
and shelling, the three men took position.
Negi took covering position
with his sten gun, Jaswant Singh and Gusain hurled grenades towards the
enemy MMG position. Jaswant Singh and Gusain found that two Chinese were
lying dead and one, though badly wounded was still holding the MMG.
Both jumped upon him and Jaswant Singh snatched the MMG and both
withdrew towards their own position, covered by Negi. Just before they
were about to enter their own trenches they were fired upon by the enemy
with automatic weapon. Jaswant Singh was hit on the head and collapsed
on the spot with MMG in his hand and a wounded Gusain managed to enter
the trench for safety. MMG captured by them was sent back to HQ 62
Infantry Brigade.
Apart from this official version of the story, there is another popular
version also. As per the version popular among the Army personnel and
locals, after all of the men at the Nuranang post had fallen to the
enemy attack, Jaswant Singh alone stopped Chinese from advancing for
three days. He adjusted gun positions with the help of two local girls
Se La and Nura and killed around 300 Chinese, who tried to encircle the
post from different sides. When the Chinese realised that they were
stopped by only one man, they were so angry that they overrun the post,
and hung Jaswant Singh with the help of a telephone wire. The wire
looped like a noose is still hanging to the tree at the temple of
Jaswant Singh at the memorial. The Chinese did not stop at this. They
also beheaded Jaswant Singh after his death and carried his head along
with them. After the cease-fire, they returned this brave soldier’s head
with full respect. Rifleman Jaswant Singh Rawat was awarded Mahavir
Chakra posthumously for his brave fight.
‘Baba’ Jaswant Singh
The personnel on duty at Jaswantgarh War
Memorial tell another story. According to them, Jaswant Singh still
lives on and he punishes a soldier who is found sleeping on duty.
It
is a custom for serving officers and personnel to tender salute at the
memorial. Once, recalls a guard on duty, a Brigadier went ahead without
stopping at this place. After some distance, his vehicle developed some
snag. The vehicle did not start till the officer took a stop at the
memorial.
The personnel believe that ‘Baba’ Jaswant Singh is still alive. They
offer him service by way of pressing his clothes, preparing his bed,
polishing his shoes, serving him tea, breakfast, and food items. A
personnel tells, “Baba uses the clothes. We often see that the bed
sheet, despite being in a glass case, is disturbed in the morning.”
Interestingly, the Indian Army also treated Jaswant Singh like a serving
man and gave him promotions till his age of retirement. He ‘retired’ as
a Captain and before that he had ‘served’ with GREF, adds another
personnel of 10 Sikh Regiment that is currently looking after
maintenance of the memorial. On way to Tawang from Se La, Jaswantgarh
War Memorial offers a mid-way stop with Indian Army serving hot tea to
visitors for free. Of course, tea is merely an addition to connecting
with the history of valour.
Chinese Graveyard
The Indian Army is known for its respectful
ways, and one such example is seen at Jaswantgarh, 18 kms from Se La.
Here, apart from preserving the bunkers and things used by Rifleman
Jaswant Singh Rawat, the Indian Army has dedicated a piece of land to
pay respects to Chinese soldiers who died in 1962 war. With an enlarged
photograph of a Chinese soldier, a poster in this dedicated space
carries the words, “They also died for their country.” Probably, this is
the only case wherein the Army of a country has created a graveyard for
soldiers of enemy nation who died in war.
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